The procession continued like that for several days. By the time they reached the border region where a slightly warmer wind was blowing, Latifa’s leg injury had also eased somewhat.

Perhaps thanks to the medicine Hades had given her. The throbbing pain had improved significantly and the swelling had subsided, so she could now walk a little without Brenda’s help.

“Just a bit more hardship and we’ll be there. They say we’re almost there.”

“I don’t know how we’ll make a living even if we go to a third country.”

“…As long as we’re alive, that’s good enough.”

“You, did you really not have anything going on with the general?”

Since she had been with Brenda the whole time, she should know nothing happened. She still seemed to hope that Latifa would stick to Hades and get something more out of him.

Latifa vaguely laughed off the situation and stroked the head of the brown horse standing next to her. A silver haze rose from the horse’s head.

‘You’ve worked hard. We’ll soon be parting ways.’

Latifa laughed happily at the brown horse’s words. Then Brenda, who was standing next to her, started to burst out in anger.

“You really do useless things. While I’m burning up inside!”

‘Ugh. Here we go again.’

It was Brenda’s nagging that had gotten worse as they approached the Sorte border. Even though she had ridden horses and slept warmly through the long procession thanks to Latifa, she kept demanding things.

Bring more fruit, bring more water because she wanted to wash her face. Unable to speak the desert language, she kept pestering Latifa to tell the desert people her demands.

Thinking that it’s better to be nice, Latifa tried to fulfill most of her requests, but she wouldn’t stop.

The black robe Latifa had received from Hades had long since fallen into her grasp.

“If you side with the general, you can really live comfortably, Lati. Why don’t you go first and act all sweet?”

‘Can you help me out?’

Finally, Latifa asked the brown horse for help. The horse nodded, then raised its front legs high and began to make a loud neighing sound.

– Neigh!

“Eek!”

Startled by the horse’s prancing, Brenda barely stopped her nagging.

‘Thank you.’

As Latifa was inwardly giggling, Manut called her.

“Hey. Imperial woman. The general is calling for you.”

Latifa sensed it. He was probably going to start the so-called deal again.

**

As Latifa limped after Manut, she saw Hades reading a parchment scroll with a serious expression. Quite a number of scrolls were piled up next to him.

“General, I’ve brought her.”

“Good. Take this to the commanders of the 3rd and 4th armies, and this to the 7th army.”

As Hades handed over the scrolls, Manut quickly disappeared. Left alone, Hades, who still seemed to have a mountain of things to read and deal with, picked up a new scroll and spoke.

His face, which seemed like it had been days since she last saw it, still looked sharp and upright. But between those features, Latifa could feel the fatigue seeping through.

“Did you get your clothes taken away too?”

“Th-they weren’t taken. Brenda gets cold easily… So we just swapped.”

“You should have realized after spending a few days together. I can’t tell if you’re naive or just foolish.”

Latifa seemed to understand what Hades was saying. She had already realized that Brenda was trying to use her.

But no matter what, Brenda was a fellow Imperial, and Hades was a desert man, so she didn’t want to readily admit to his words.

“The day I brought her, that greedy woman stuffed those tasteless apples into her pockets right away.”

“…She was starving. It’s not like she stole them, they were my share of apples anyway.”

“If you want to take her side that badly, I have nothing more to say. But if you misuse your subordinates, it’s the superior who suffers the loss.”

Hades chuckled and pointed to the large chest in front, gesturing for her to sit. As Latifa sat on it, she asked.

“What’s your business?”

“A deal.”

‘As I thought.’

The word ‘deal’ made her heart feel heavy for no reason. She couldn’t understand why he was making such a big deal out of it when he could just ask her to help with interpretation work.

“What I want is your desert language ability. What do you want?”

“…Will you give me what I want?”

“If it’s worth the value, the deal will be made. If not, we’ll have to negotiate.”

“I thought you were a general, but you’re just like a merchant.”

“Ah, thank you for the compliment. Anyone from the Grand Bazaar has the blood of a merchant flowing through them.”

‘That wasn’t a compliment.’

She found his smirking face oddly irritating, so she tried to slightly scratch his pride by calling him a merchant, but Hades seemed even more proud of it.

“Ah, right. In the Empire, being a merchant was a lowly profession.”

Hades was grinning even more as he looked at her. She couldn’t understand why his face looked so annoying to her.

She didn’t want to lose to that face. So she cleared her throat and challengingly spoke to Hades.

“What I want is gold.”

“Ah. It was cheap originally, but the price has gone up. How much do you want?”

A lot. The more the better.

But if she said that, it was clear she would be laughed at again. The problem was that she didn’t know the market price well.

‘I don’t know how much gold I need.’

Even though she was a disregarded princess, Latifa had never even touched currency. She had never bought anything with her own hands, nor had she studied economics, so it was a natural result.

Cold sweat started to form on her back, even though he wasn’t threatening her with a sword. But she couldn’t be looked down upon here.

“Enough gold… to settle down after seeking asylum in a third country.”

“That’s ridiculously expensive.”

Hades snorted and indicated his intention to refuse.

‘He might be bluffing. Don’t be scared, Lati.’

Latifa quickly racked her brain and pointed to the pile of scrolls next to him.

“Don’t you have a lot of work? Don’t you want to resolve it quickly and return to your home country?”

“I guess you’re not completely foolish.”

“I’ll finish the work quickly. Because I have the ability to do so.”

Wait. When have I ever said such a thing in my life?

Latifa was more surprised at herself for saying such words. To say that she was capable.

Suddenly overcome with embarrassment, her heart started pounding and her face felt hot.

She could feel Hades staring at her face. She tried to ignore the feeling and swallowed hard.

Thump, thump. Her heartbeat was rising a little faster.

“Alright. 10 gold bars.”

“…”

‘I don’t know if that’s a good price! I wish Brenda was here.’

“13.”

“Uh…”

“15. I can’t give any more than that.”

As Hades firmly crossed his arms, Latifa finally managed to nod.

“O-okay. 15!”

“Good. Let’s write up a contract.”

Hades took out a piece of parchment and a quill pen from the side and placed them on the flat chest.

“Do, do we have to write a contract?”

“Contracts are sacred in the Grand Bazaar. Without a contract, no one can guarantee your rights.”

The Grand Bazaar must be a very strange place. Making people write contracts and do business over trivial matters.

“Since you can’t write in the desert language, I’ll write it and show you the contents. Review the contents carefully. You should read it really carefully so you can’t say otherwise later.”

He picked up the quill pen and wrote down the contents of the contract in a flowing handwriting without hesitation. Then he paused, stopped his hand, and looked at Latifa.

As those pitch-black eyes focused solely on her, she felt a rush of heat throughout her body.

“Finally, I need to know your name.”

“…Ah. Latifa.”

Come to think of it, she realized she hadn’t given her name all this time. No one would know her name anyway.

Even in the imperial family, hardly anyone knew the name of the 17th princess properly, let alone the citizens. How could a desert man from a distant land know her name?

“What?”

“Latifa. Latifa Glacia.”

She only omitted the royal surname Tania at the end.

“What a strange name. Imperial names are too difficult. Now, read the contents and sign.”

She almost blurted out, ‘Your names are even stranger.’

Latifa picked up the contract and carefully read the contents. It was surprisingly detailed. At the beginning, things like the date and purpose were written, and the content and conclusion were systematically written.

– Hades Caleb will pay 15 gold bars as wages for Latifa Glacia’s interpretation work until he departs for the desert.

‘Okay. Seems fine.’

After reading the contract written in the desert language, Latifa took the quill pen and signed at the very bottom.

“Latifa.”

While she was signing, Hades softly recited her name as if memorizing it. Perhaps because it was the first time a man had called her name, she felt somewhat embarrassed.

“Latifa. Latifa, Latifa?”

‘Why does he keep calling my name, it’s embarrassing!’

After repeating her name several times, Hades extended his hand with a low laugh.

“Latifa. I am Hades Caleb Ignite. Consider it an honor to have made a contract with me.”

What a really strange name. Thinking that, Latifa shook his outstretched hand.

“You’re not trembling anymore.”

Along with his satisfied smile, it seemed as if a thick jasmine scent was flowing from somewhere.

**

“15 gold bars?! To you?!”

Brenda was so surprised by the amount Latifa mentioned that she nearly fell forward.

“I asked for enough gold to settle down after seeking asylum.”

Latifa smiled a little smugly at Brenda’s shocked expression. Judging by how surprised she was, it must really be a large amount.

“My goodness, with that gold… We could live even more comfortably than before the war!”

Brenda’s face was full of joy.

‘But, that’s my money…’

She certainly didn’t intend to keep it all to herself, but she hadn’t said a word about sharing it yet, and Brenda was already dreaming happy dreams.

‘Well. What would I know how to do with just gold? Maybe Brenda would use it better.’

Thinking that, Latifa shyly asked Brenda.

“Um, Brenda. Now that I’ve earned this gold, could I perhaps get back the jewel box I gave you before?”

The jewel box Latifa was talking about was the only ornament she had brought when fleeing the imperial palace. There was nothing important inside except for a decorative key made of gold, but the jewel box itself was Latifa’s great treasure.

It was her mother’s keepsake. It was a jewel box made in the image of the blue shield that was said to have been the symbol of the Glacia family in the past.

The lid was inlaid with blue jewels in the shape of a shield, and one edge was adorned with exquisite silver filigree in the shape of small animal claw marks.

‘Mom always proudly said it was the blue shield that protected the empire.’

A small smile appeared on Latifa’s lips as she recalled her happy childhood. She had handed over something so precious to Brenda, asking her to take it into the refugee group.

“Alright. But Lati.”

“Yes.”

“That general, in a way, isn’t he like a goose that lays golden eggs?”

“A goose that lays golden eggs?”

“You know. If you cut open its belly, it can’t lay golden eggs anymore.”

“…Is the gold not enough?”

“No. Think about it. He gave this much gold to someone like you, what could be the reason?”

“This, this is what I received for my rightful abilities. As payment for doing work.”

“You’d like to think that. From my perspective, you could get more than this, I’m telling you. Did the general not say anything about wanting to take you with him?”

Feeling somewhat tired of talking to Brenda, Latifa quietly covered herself with a blanket and turned her back.

Why was it more tiring to talk in the Imperial language than in the unfamiliar desert language?

‘Hades Caleb Ignite.’

The strange foreign name suddenly came to mind. Latifa closed her eyes quietly, repeating it to herself.